Hornets at Celtics | Full Game Highlights | April 7, 202

And what a way to kick it off from Boston. A huge potential first round playoff matchup in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte in a virtual tie for seventh place in the race for six. The magic number for Boston for that second seed is two. As they lead the New York Knicks by two and a half games, looking to lock that up. The Charlotte Hornets, one of the best surging teams in the NBA. On the road to take on the Boston Celtics champions. Just two seasons ago. Third and final meeting of the regular season between Boston and Charlotte. And we're underway from TD Garden. 115 to 101 on Sunday. They did not shoot the three ball well and found other ways to win. And cut by Bennett, Jalen Brown. These two teams play such a similar style to one another. Charles Lee, an assistant for Joe Mazzullo a couple years ago in LaMelo Ball. You're going to see some high flying three point shots from both of these teams. By Tatum to find Kada. What I love about the Hornets, anyone can get the rebound and go coast to coast. Over the top of Kada. Bridges. Post up, Kada, double. At 37% on the season from three overs. Last 16, 38% had a high clip. It may look weird and unorthodox, but it's money, just like that. Two teams, they are mirror images of one another. Hornets lead the NBA in threes, mains per game at 16.4. Ball on the drive and a flow. What a start. These guys now are going to start to ease because the defense is going to start to be skewed towards ball. Jason Tatum, belly ball. He's kind of laboring on his way back to the other end. And that's going to happen. You blink, you miss it. In terms of their pace, it's not great. They know how to score the basketball quickly. How's this response? It's there. Five on four the other way. Tatum. Swing pass. Rachel Rusevich gets in as well. Another big off the bench. Good pass. It's ball. It's another three. His third first quarter triple. Versus the Celtics. That was the game that Joe Mazzuola said Tatum can't finish, but gets it. Now, me, it's Tatum. Number 17 coming from that center position. With the ball here. The fancy dribbling and just a third finish from LaMelo Ball. Tatum, outside. Hauser again. Rebounded the nipple. Couldn't grab it. Brown looking to take advantage. And he does. Changes for Boston with Buciewicz, Pritchard, Walsh, and Shireman. Out there with Brown. The drive and finish. It's Miller. Brown. Three. Into the rookie. Oh, he sends off on Kalkbrenner and puts it home. Talk about rhythm. Buciewicz has mentioned understanding tendencies of his teammates and vice versa, which has been challenging. And Williams drains a three. The willingness to try things, but did it with such conviction that all the guys just bought in on a day-to-day basis. Williams was one of those players. And he puts down another three. Fixed the shoot. Off the screen. Downhill to nipple kick. Green three. And it's good. He's just not a three-point shooter. No numbers will slow it down, but he finds the open man. Pritchard shooting practice. Booker in. They've turned an 11-point deficit into five. Lamella ball in and out. Rebound Diabate. Another second-chance opportunity, and it's ball to the rack. Making reads from the top of the key, defensively being in the right spots, taking them from a good to a great option for them in the performing unit. Oh, the nipple went down, and Houser takes advantage. Get the screen from Diabate. Bridges three. That's false. No one in the frame. Asked Charles Lee about a specific drill that they've run. It's called the pad drill, but he called the gauntlet. The gauntlet, yes. Cato can't finish. Guess who's there? Cato again on cleanup duty. Now, Charles Lee, 38-14 on challenges this year. More importantly, Diabate doesn't pick up a personal foul that he didn't commit. Oh, what a metal ball! Oh, man. He buries that thing. Derek White with the response. Good answer. Ball movement, great find there by Cato. Ball with 18 points. He's four of nine from three. Find the open man, and Miller sticks it. And Lamello, and Brandon Miller's about ready to join the party of the 200-point club. Tatum, top bucket. Tatum up to seven. Oh, you gotta get up there if you're Cato. Too much space, but he missed it. C.I. James with the board and the finish. Count it, and a foul. I mean, this is target practice if you're Lamello. ACC All-Defensive Team, as mentioned last year, every 14 points per game this final season has to lead. The shot is real high, 41% from three. Tatum against Knievel. Duke versus Duke. Bounce it. White, three ball, money. 48-35, 80 splits on the season. Defensive minutes has done everything for this team, including keeping them way above water. But Knievel right at Pritchard for two more. Brown, Tatum, Vujovic, Walsh, and Derek White. It's down to Brown, it's a three. And they've all had their moments this year. So right there, look at Garza. He's been great down the stretch as well. He's biding his time. And Jordan Walsh paying off the decision with a three. Everyone's gonna have their opportunity. Game by game, series by series. Miller puts an end to a nine-nothing run. Knievel head up, left towards the rim. Oh, it's a double! Who gets it? That's Kalk Miller. Vujovic, so far, 0-3 in this game. He's gonna back down the rookie Kalk runner. Couldn't find space. Bounce it for Brown. Euro step and a tough finish. Little extra sauce for Jalen Brown. Charlotte will inbound for the first 24. Knievel against White. Inside. It's Bridges, climbing the ladder. Tatum, bounce it. Vujovic, foul rejected. Kalk runner erased it. What one with a 7'6 wingspan. Vujovic trying to bring him to the outside. He'll spin, he'll push. And he doesn't get the roll, but Walsh is there. Flying in for the follow. Looking like he's on the playground against Walsh here. Seven to shoot. Screen from Kalk runner. Ball's gonna put it up. The minute, Jay goes! LaMelo! Charlotte basketball with the six-point cushion as we start the third. Ball on the drive. And a finish. He's got 25. A little UCLA action to start this. Jason Tatum, flying nylon on the three. He's feeling it right now. He's looking to score every time he's got the ball in his hands. Got 25, so why not? He's got 27, so why not? For those of you who have not seen a lot of these Hornet games, this is exactly how they've played all season long. Nine of their last 11 have resulted in wins. Tatum in and out. Tatum, another offensive board, and put back. Tatum attack. Tatum finish. Playing OKC, they won 124 to 91. He said, just being able to beat a championship-level team like that on the road, it gave us all the confidence in the world, as they nail another three right there. If we weren't playing well the first half, we can turn it on the second. He said, truly, that game changed our mindset. As LaMelo ball takes it in for two more. He's up to 29 points. So many guys in and out of the lineup having to really adjust on the fly, not winning the majority of their games. Joe Mazula likes to say it all the time, as Derrick White sticks a triple. And it feels like Charlotte has really learned how not to lose games, which has propelled them into learning how to win. And LaMelo ball! He is in a float state! 32! In a win on Sunday at Minnesota. He's got his ninth 30-point game of the season, with 32 here tonight. The nipple having expunged! He is LaMelo. He's not Melo, people. There's only one Melo. He's in our studio right now. That's right. Jalen Brown rattles it home. Screen from James. He's got the last seven, but he turns it over. White bounces, Brown spins, Brown scores! That play all made because of the hustle of Jordan Walsh. And he's trying to continue to find different ways to give himself the best version. That helps too, finding open teammates. Brown tries, scoop it inside. Can't, lost it. That's that good activity inside from Diabate. Ball lobbed. Oh, Miller slam! LaMelo put it on a rope for him! Top it, LaMelo. And you actually think he might, from the logo. Instead, it's Miller with a length! Stretch Armstrong with a right. Miller's feeling it. Doesn't get the roll. Pritchard has the ball. Hayden Pritchard, quiet game off the bench. Jordan Walsh, sneak ahead for the slam! Cata on an island. Ball, step back, no way! Comes up short, Kuprenner, the biggest guy on the floor for the flush. Jalen Brown with a hustle, and he forced the rookie to miss it. It's easy what happens. Shireman, five point swing! Time out, Charlotte! He's a little young for that. He was only a freshman there. I know he's in similar training with the Olympic team. Oh, he's right there, as Grant Williams finds the bottom from the outside. Hayden Pritchard played in that game as well, from that area originally. Trying to put on for the Northwest, and he does. Wanting to play in this third quarter. Brown, outside, Shireman. Now you're starting to get that pop off the bench. Instead of Brown, switch with Knievel. Back down, seven versus seven, and the failure goes! Five seconds left, Brown with three. Brown makes a move with one, floats it up, and he gets the roll, finishes! Bridges looking to attack, right on Pritchard with a size advantage. Back down, Bridges, fade away. Oh, tough shot. Kick it for Vujovic, history ball. James scooping ahead, Diabate, the long strides. For Moussa Diabate to go with three rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Brown across, shifty, Brown, a tough bucket. Jalen Brown wants to bring Khan Knievel, the rookie, into every high screen and roll to get the switch. Knievel three, and he's got it. Khan Knievel from the outside. He'll drive, he'll kick, extra swing. White on the attack, ten to shoot. Pritchard's three, it's good! All those hustle opportunities that Charlotte was winning early in this game. Boston has pounced. Tatum, step back three, and he drills a big one, finishes! Miller, approaching five minutes to play. Lob it for Bridges, back down on Pritchard. Double comes from Vujovic, but Bridges backs it home. It's all to exhaust, talking about the numbers, seeing that it shuts you down. Finally, Knievel sees one go through the hoop. Three timeouts remaining, two challenges left for Boston, one remaining for Charlotte. Into the corner, Tatum will drive, and Tatum will finish! Boston has flipped that strip now, 16 of 40 for three. It's Brown. Jalen Brown playing like an MVP candidate! Ball, hook it, Miller, rip through, gets into the paint, and he floats it home. What do you think he's thinking? He's thinking, I have so much to learn. Derek White might have just put the icing on the cake. 54.2. It all started on that missed layup by James. Oh, nice pass and finish, the nipple to Kalkbrenner. Jalen Brown, Grant Williams, enjoying their former teammate handshake. Former assistant for Joe Mazzuolo, Charles Lee greeting his former boss. They will have .4 on the clock. The mellow ball making his way towards the back. Now he's gonna get back on the court for the final couple of tenths, and that'll do it. It's official, Boston, with a ridiculous finish to this game in a late third and early fourth quarter, take complete control and win it 113-102 to improve to 54-25. Starting off with a 10-0 run to finish the third, and then you guys really took control. So what was that difference maker in that third quarter? We found a way to get some stops. You know, we had some uncharacteristic kind of turnovers, but we just found a way to get some stops, kept them at 102 points, and then our offense took the lead from there. This is the first time you guys have been fully healthy all season long. Did a win like this just show the experience of this team and the depth that you guys have? Yeah, I mean, we woke him and booted back with open arms. He got a lot of good looks today, just trying to get him situated. You know, we still learning. We still got a couple of games left, so we still gotta, you know, keep playing the right way. Jalen, for you, you had 35 points, sometimes scoring between four different Hornets defenders. First off, do the MVP chants ever get old? It's great. It's been a great year. The fans have been great this year. I'm proud of my guys. I'm proud of my group, and now it's time to get ready for the playoffs. And last thing, if this is a potential playoff scenario coming up, what do you like about this matchup? This team kind of reminds me of us when we were younger, like young group, shoot the ball well, got a lot of different guys who can beat you and have a fearlessness. So they came out ready to play. Today was like a playoff-like game, and we found a way to win. Thank you so much. Congrats on the win. Thank you.